JEFF SHORT, CONSERVATION CONSULTANT: They're endangered at the federal level, so they're now restricted to about one per cent of their former range.

REBECCA BOTELER: The Red-tailed Phascogale used to be found all over Australia, but numbers have been steadily declining over the last century.

JEFF SHORT: Largely predation from introduced predators; foxes and feral cats would be the key thing. And the loss of habitat through farming has also made a huge difference.

REBECCA BOTELER: The phascogale also has a rather unfortunate breeding pattern. Males only get to mate once in their life, and that's in their first year.

JEFF SHORT: The males only live to 11.5 months and they breed a single time and then they all die after the mating season. And then the females carry on and raise their litter, and it's the males from those litters that are then used to keep the population going.

REBECCA BOTELER: Mother Nature hasn't been much kinder to the female of the species; they only live two to three years.

JEFF SHORT (In the field): Another young female. Callipers... thanks.

REBECCA BOTELER: But the embattled marsupial is getting a helping hand. The Red-tailed Phascogale hasn't been since around Narembeen since the 1970s.

But with the help of conservation consultant Jeff Short the local community established this wildlife sanctuary just out of town in the hope of bringing the species back to the area.

Leading the effort are these two octogenarians, who have turned hand from farming the land to conserving it.

MEL BRISTOW, VOLUNTEER: Well, with the little bit of life I've got left I'd like to see... try and undo a bit of damage that was done by the past generations.

REBECCA BOTELER: Instead of putting their feet up, Mel Bristow and Brian Price are dedicating their retirement to saving the endangered species that were common around their farms when they were growing up.

Together with other volunteers they spent a couple of years putting in more than 11 kilometres of fencing around the sanctuary, gradually phasing out the main predators - foxes and feral cats.

REBECCA BOTELER: But foxes and cats aren't the only animals that have given them trouble. Some very persistent echidnas also put more than a few holes in the fences.

(To Mel Bristow) So you think you... you hope you've outsmarted the echidnas?

MEL BRISTOW: Well', we'll never out smart I don't think, but they're under control at the moment.

BRIAN PRICE: I think it's a game between us all now. We have a lot of fun, but we're not winning completely. We win... they seem to have the last say always.

REBECCA BOTELER: Two years after the sanctuary was built, 20 red-tailed phascogale were moved from Wagin into their new home. It's the first time anywhere in Australia the animals have been translocated.

JEFF SHORT: Well, this is a very tiny animal; just a little bit bigger than a mouse, so we're putting little collars- about 1.3 gram collars - on them and from that we're able to follow them round and ensure that they were surviving and get some idea of their movements and where they were nesting.

REBECCA BOTELER: And so far it seems the nesting season has been a success.

JEFF SHORT: Well, we've had at least three quarters of the females translocated... they've survived through this current breeding season and they've all produced young and now we're starting to catch most of the young.

REBECCA BOTELER: But the conservation efforts end with the red tailed phascogale. There are plans to introduce another five species to the sanctuary. These include the Woylie, which is also on the in endangered list.

And if that's successful, there are high hopes for the sanctuary. The locals want it to be opened up as tourist attraction.

BRIAN PRICE: I think it's good to see something like this close to town and it will eventually be a... well, I hope, a sort of showcase for visitors in the place.

REBECCA BOTELER: These two volunteers hope they'll be around to see that happen.

(To Mel Bristow) Do you hope to keep your involvement up?

MEL BRISTOW: Yes, as long as I can walk and drive I will.

MEL BRISTOW: So long as I'm not in the way, that's all. I would be very happy to be out here.